The historic flagship logo of the national broadcaster Doordarshan has undergone a color transition, shifting from red to saffron. The official X handle of DD News announced the change, stating, “While our values remain the same, we are now available in a new avatar.”
“Get ready for a news journey like never before.. Experience the all-new DD News!” it added.
Member of the Rajya Sabha and former CEO of Prasar Bharati (DD, AIR), Jawhar Sircar, criticized the change, stating that he has observed a process of “saffronization” within the national broadcaster.
“National broadcaster Doordarshan colours its historic flagship logo in saffron! As its ex-CEO, I have been watching its saffronisation with alarm and feel — it’s not Prasar Bharati any more — it’s Prachar Bharati!” , he wrote on X.
Congress’s Manish Tewari, Former Information and Broadcasting Minister from 2012 to 2014, alleged the government of trying to seize control of government institutions through the logo color change.
BJP’s Andhra Pradesh state vice-president said, “When Doordarshan was launched in 1959, it had a saffron logo. Now, as the government reintroduces the original logo, liberals and Congress are outraging over it.”
“It’s blatantly obvious they harbor hate against ‘Bhagwa’ and Hindus,” he wrote on X.
Prasar Bharti CEO, Gaurav Dwivedi, defended the national broadcaster’s decision, describing the new logo as a vibrant orange color. He emphasized that it’s a shift in visual aesthetics, clarifying, “The color is orange, not saffron.”
“We’ve not only updated the logo but also revamped the entire appearance. It’s unfortunate that some are reading too much into this. We’ve been working on enhancing DD’s look and feel for the past six to eight months,” he explained.
Sources within Prasar Bharti informed the media that linking the new logo color with the BJP was “incorrect”. Throughout the years, Doordarshan has transitioned its logo color to blue, yellow, and red. However, the core elements of the logo, including the two petals and the globe at the center, have remained the same. “AIIMS Nagpur Observes Fire Safety